Pumpkin Spice chin chin. Full disclaimer, these are addictive! The have the perfect crunch and are deliciously bad for you. Just want to get it out there before we proceed.
Growing up , these treats are reserved strictly for the holidays, particularly Christmas. It was our tradition and I still remember how excited we all were when shopping for the ingredients. We all huddled around my mom , watching each step closely. Definitely not because we cared about learning. More like looking for the right moment to sneak in a bite of the dough. She usually rolls out the dough and have us cut it into our favorite shapes. We got creative for sure but little squares are the way to go.
Christmas in Cameroon
As a child , it is customary for us to visit as many neighbors as we can on Christmas day. As a matter of fact we did not open presents. Probably because we already had them on. NEW CLOTHES AND SHOES! That was our gift every year. Things are different in America for sure when it comes to the holidays and the concept of “gift”.
By the end of the day, you best believe there were soup stains and what not on those brand new dresses. We ate something at every stop and chin chin was definitely an item on the menu.
Pumpkin Spice
Usually chin chin is made with nutmeg. Once I discovered I did not have nutmeg the idea to use Pumpkin spice is the next best option. That being said you can definitely branch out and try new things. I actually added a little bit of cinnamon too. Add in whatever screams the holiday spirit for you.
MAKING CHIN CHIN
Sometimes I literally just throw in all my ingredients and mix. But as a great baker once told me, mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.
Your dough after kneading should be somewhat elastic
Fun part! roll out and cut into your favorite shapes. It could even be a teaching moment with you little one. Triangles, squares, rectangles.
When ready, heat oil and fry until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy. Like I mentioned earlier, these are deliciously bad for you. But eh, there is only one Christmas a year so I’m sure your fitfam will cut you some slacks.
Will be gifting my neighbors these this holiday season. You may not have time to mail out a batch to someone special but I hope you make some for yourself. Sometimes we do owe ourselves a guilty pleasure. This year, I am going for this delicious, crunchy pumpkin spice chin chin.
Christmas Chin Chin
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 7.6fl oz nestle media crema (or 225ml of milk: whole, 2% , 1% or skim)
- 2 and 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter (softenned)
- 1 medium egg
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Combine and stir, flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin spice and cinnamon in a medium to large mixing bowl. Mix in softened butter.
- Then crack in egg, and add milk. Use hands and mix until it forms a dough. Transfer to a smooth surface dusted with flour (large chopping board or granite counter top) and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Dough at this point is somewhat elastic
- Cut dough into four. Dust surface with a little flow. Use a rolling pin (or pasta machine) and roll out dough into a 1/4 to 1/5 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. To make squares, cut down then across. Use knife or hands dusted with some flour to remove from surface
- Heat oil in a large/ deep fry pan. Leave about 2 inches or more from surface to prevent oil from bubbling over during frying.
- Fry until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy. Can store in air tight container.
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